UT’s Walker needs big Shrine game

University of Tennessee defensive end Chris Walker didn’t have a senior season that wowed NFL scouts, so he’ll hope to leave more of an impression on Saturday when he plays in the East-West Shrine Game in Orlando, Fla.

The talent level of the Shrine contest is considered a notch below that of the Senior Bowl next weekend, so Walker really needs to stand out in order to change some opinions, according to the NFL Network’s Charles Davis. Davis, a former Vol defensive back, will serve as network analyst for the game.

“He needs to be a dominant player,” Davis said of the 6-3, 245-pound Walker, a Memphis native. “He needs to go out and kick some behind in this game. It’s the most loaded game he’s ever going to play in.”

Walker was one of 10 Vols to start every game this season and one of just four to see action in every quarter of play. Hampered at times by a pair of injuries, he led the Vols with six quarterback hurries and tied for second on the defensive line with 45 tackles.

But the numbers didn’t represent much of a jump from his junior year, when Walker recorded 42 tackles. He had six sacks as a junior, three as a senior.

“Potential is always there for guys coming out of that conference,” Davis said. “The hard part is that if you didn’t play as well as you wanted during the season … some scouts aren’t going to change their grades and project him up after seeing him win a few drills. But not everyone subscribes to that theory.”

Here are some of Davis’ comments on other prospective NFL players participating in Saturday’s Shrine contest:

Marvin Austin (DT, North Carolina) – “He’s definitely a guy to watch. What I was impressed with is that he appeared to come back (after missing his senior season) in shape. A lot of times when guys come back after missing a last year, they come back 30 pounds heavy. Austin weighed in at a good weight and from what I hear is working out pretty well. So he’s one that I think you should take a good strong look at and keep an eye on in this ballgame.”

Nathan Enderle (QB, Idaho) – “He’s put together well. I like his makeup. I like the fact he played in a program that was horrible and he ended up taking them to a bowl last year and came back this year and just missed being bowl-eligible by a game. He’s a guy I want to keep an eye on.”

Vai Taua (RB, Nevada) – “He’s run for 1,000 yards three straight years and no one knows who the kid is. I like the way he runs and I like his make-up. They run that `pistol’ offense, but they still get the ball to him like it’s an `I’ formation … He’s still more of a downhill guy than than the regular ‘gun offense stuff that everyone is running.”

Pat Devlin (QB, Delaware) – “I like him a bunch. He’s a guy I want to see. He practiced pretty well this week. He’s automatically going to get all the (Joe) Flacco comparisons. They both left pro-style offenses and ran the spread (at Delaware). They both had success. But they’re not put together quite the same. But I like Devlin a lot. I would say he’s probably a third-rounder right now with a chance of pushing up into the second.”